Oasis Affirmation of Welcome

We believe that all people are worthy of respect and honor, because all are created in the image of God, and all can respond to the love of god. In our baptismal vows we commit ourselves, with God's help, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, by loving our neighbors as ourselves, respecting the dignity of every human being, and striving for justice and peace among all people.

Yet we see that, in our churches and in society, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are not always counted among those for whom the Church seeks justice, or grants due respect, as loving and beloved members of the household of God. We recognize that fear of, and discrimination against, gay lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people is part of an oppressive history within the Church and society, which distorts our relationship with God and with other people, and diminishes the humanity of us all.

Therefore we feel compelled to make explicit our welcome of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people into the ministries and life of this congregation, incarnating the message, "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You." We encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people to participate in all aspects of the ministries of this church, by bearing witness to Christ, and fully participating in our life, worship and governance.

Where we see division, we will seek, with God's help to be a people of reconciliation, offering a live that casts out all fear. Where we see injustice and ignorance, we will offer our ministry of advocacy and education, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us all into truth.

Join the Oasis e-mail discussion group!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheOasisMissouri/
Click on this link, and then "Join this Group"

Recommended Websites

The Oasis Missouri (www.missouri.anglican.org/GLBT.htm) "The Oasis/Missouri assists gay, lesbian, and transgendered Episcopalians, their families, and friends by providing support, resources, and educational materials to assist their congregations and clergy to be more open and welcoming to all people."

Every Voice Network (www.everyvoice.net) "Every Voice Network (EVN) is dedicated to informing, supporting, and uniting progressive Episcopalians engaged in peace and justice work. EVN’s mission is to advance the reign of God by providing a sophisticated, comprehensive, and collaborative communications infrastructure for progressive congregations, advocacy groups, and individuals in the Episcopal Church. "

Integrity (integrityusa.org) "A witness of God's inclusive love to the Episcopal Church and the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community."

White Crane: a journal of Gay Men's Spirituality (www.whitecranejournal.com): "White Crane Journal explores gay spirituality to uncover the variety of the manifestations of spiritual quest among contemporary gay men, and to reclaim their place in the development of human consciousness, committed to the intuition that gay consciousness plays a special and important role in the evolution of life on planet Earth. "